The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) is the Western
Hemisphere's policy forum for dealing with the drug problem. The CICAD Executive
Secretariat supports the Commission by strengthening the human and institutional
capabilities and channeling the collective efforts of its member states to
reduce the production, trafficking and use of illegal drugs. The
Hemispheric Drug Strategy, approved in May 2010, expresses the firm commitment of member states to deal with the consequences of the drug trade, which pose a growing threat to health, economic development, social
cohesion, and the rule of law.

CICAD was established by the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) in 1986. Each member government appoints a high-ranking representative to the Commission, which meets twice a year. CICAD promotes regional cooperation and coordination among OAS member states through action programs, carried out by CICAD's Executive Secretariat, to:

Prevent and treat substance abuse;

Reduce the supply and availability of illicit drugs;

Strengthen national drug control institutions and machinery;

Improve money laundering control laws and practice;

Develop alternate sources of income for growers of coca, poppy, and marijuana;

Assist member governments to improve their data gathering and analysis on all aspects of the drug issue, and

Help member states and the hemisphere as a whole measure their progress over time in addressing the drug problem.

CICAD's core mission is to enhance the human and institutional capacities of its member states to reduce the production, trafficking and use of illegal drugs, and to address the health, social and criminal consequences of the drug trade. CICAD is the OAS agency that:

Serves as the Western Hemisphere's policy forum on all aspects of the drug problem;

Fosters multilateral cooperation on drug issues in the Americas;

Executes action programs to strengthen the capacity of CICAD member states to prevent and treat licit and illicit drug abuse; combat production of illicit drugs, and deny the traffickers their illegal profits;

Develops and recommends minimum standards for
drug-related legislation, treatment, the measurement of both
drug consumption and the cost of drugs to society, and
drug-control measures, among others; and

Carries out regular multilateral evaluations of progress by
member states in all aspects of the drug problem .